A windshield wiper base unit usually comprises a structure carrying a windshield wiper drive unit in the form of a motorised reduction gear which is arranged to transmit the rotational movement of the rotor, either directly or through a crank type linkage, to the drive spindle of at least one windshield wiper assembly which consists essentially of at least one windshield wiper arm, each carrying a wiper blade.
As is described in the specification of published French patent application No. FR 2 621 287A, such a base unit consists of a structure that includes a support bar of a predetermined length, which includes at each of its ends a respective bearing in which is supported the drive spindle of one of the windshield wiper assemblies, and/or fastening means for securing the unit on to a fixed element of the bodywork of the motor vehicle.
It is normal in a motor vehicle to provide a liquid receptacle, for example a screen washer bottle containing a screen washing liquid. Such a bottle is arranged under the hood of the vehicle, often some distance from the base unit and usually in the engine compartment of the vehicle in a place which is accessible for maintenance and filling purposes. The bottle is connected to the distributing means for the liquid, e.g. jet nozzles which project the liquid on to a glass surface such as the windshield, through an assembly of tubes with means for dividing the flow of the liquid towards the jets. In such an arrangement the jets are arranged close to the windshield wiper drive spindles, and it is necessary to connect the jets to the washer fluid bottle through a multiciplicity of tubes or other guide means. This in turn necessitates complicated fitting operations on the production line, while the apparatus itself is relatively expensive because of the length of the various tubes.